The Hon. (Dr.) Kaushalya Ariyarathne - Deputy Minister of Mass Media
The Deputy Minister stated that the Government receives complaints from journalists about private media outlets, including closures, piece-rate work, non-payment, and lack of EPF/ETF benefits. She noted that private media companies fall under the Companies Act and labour law, limiting the Ministry’s direct authority over their employment practices. She said the Director General of Government Information issued a letter on 7 January 2026 requesting private media institutions to pay journalists properly and safeguard their professional dignity.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, we receive various complaints from journalists and professionals regarding private media. Some outlets have closed. Under piece-rate payment systems, they often lack EPF/ETF and are not paid properly. However, private media operate as companies under the Companies Act and are governed by labour law; the Ministry’s direct leverage on their pay and employment issues is limited.
¶ 02 Nevertheless, as a mark of respect for journalists, on 2026.01.07 the Government’s Director General of Government Information, H.S.K.J. Bandara, issued a letter to all private media institutions requesting that all journalists engaged in service be paid duly, safeguarding their professional dignity.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Tuesday, 17 February 2026 ·No. 23279 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. (Dr.) Kaushalya Ariyarathne - Deputy Minister of Mass Media. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 17 February 2026. No. 23279. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/5818